1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system for selectively activating or deactivating a device in response to a detected condition; and, more particularly to a method and apparatus for detecting a predetermined environmental condition and remotely activating or deactivating one or more devices in response to the condition.
2. Background Art
Furnaces, space heaters, stoves and other devices, when not used or maintained properly, can cause fires. Even when used in a proper manner, unforeseen events, such as catastrophic device failure, electrical shorts, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes may interfere with the proper operation of these devices and cause them to start fires. In addition, if a gas line ruptures during a fire or natural disaster, the leaking gas may contribute to the spread of a fire or, in the presence of a spark, cause an explosion. If no one is present when a fire starts, it may spread quickly and cause significant damage. When persons are present, their attention is likely to be focused on maintaining their own safety, and not on turning off gas lines, electrical circuits, and devices such as appliances. Likewise, in the event of a natural disaster, people are likely to be concerned with their immediate safety and not consider the damage that could be caused by a ruptured gas line or an unattended stove.
Smoke detectors and similar detection devices for detecting and signaling danger such as providing warning after a fire has started are well known, but do nothing to minimize the event detected or mitigate the result of the event. For example, if a fire reaches a gas line leading to a stove, the gas in the line could ignite or explode and aggravate the fire. Attempts have been made to equip potential fire sources such as furnaces and stoves with their own smoke detectors, and to shut off gas or power when that smoke detector sounds. One such system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,074 to Kass, wherein various smoke and gas detectors are directly connected to a furnace in order to shut the furnace off if it catches fire, leaks fuel or exhaust gases. However, these detectors will not detect an independent event which is remote from the furnace. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,909 to Knutson, shows an electric range having its own smoke detector and a controller for interrupting power to the range when the smoke detector sounds. Again, this arrangement does nothing to prevent the range from contributing to a fire started elsewhere in a building, nor will it shut off the range in the event of a natural disaster. Further, in many retrofit situations hard wire of the detector and the appliance may not be possible. It would therefore be desirable to provide a safety system for activating deterrents and/or deactivating devices or disconnecting power and gas supplies when a natural disaster occurs or when a fire starts even remotely from the device to be activated or deactivated such that the detector and the device may be remote one from the other and not require a hard wire connection.
Accordingly, it as an object of the present invention to provide a shut-off system which can overcome the above noted defects inherent in the previously known systems.
It would therefore be advantageous to have a system to detect the presence of smoke, vibrations, or other dangerous and anomalous environmental conditions in any area where the detector is placed and cause the shut-off/or activation of any device which may be a possible contributing factor to a fire/overheating, or other dangerous situation. It further would be advantageous to provide a system whereby receivers for activating controllers could be placed on any device in the home, office or other location to provide a wireless system between the environmental detector and the remote transmission receivers which are attached to the devices which are to be shut-off. It would also be advantageous to provide detection and device shut-off for the occurrence of a multitude of dangerous conditions.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading of the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.